Best Christmas Markets for Street Photography

As long nights draw in during the months of November and December, markets in various European cities light up – shining, shimmering, bursting with festive spirit and good cheer. Where better to practise street photography than at the Christmas markets, where so much can be captured – food, shops selling Christmas ornaments, carousel roundabout, and shoppers enjoying the magic of the festivities.

Stuttgart, Germany

One of the most beautiful and oldest Christmas markets in Europe, Advent Stuttgart plays host to a 31-day festive celebration through its array of decorated stalls packed with Christmas decorations, winter clothing, household wares, and toys. Festive concerts are also held at the market, specifically in the inner courtyard of the ‘Alten Schloss’ and on the town hall steps. As millions pour into this world-famous festive market, it gives you the perfect opportunity to shoot street portraits. And what better lens to use than the EF50mm f/1.4 USM? Not only can the EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens achieve wonderfully sharp and crisp finish to your photos, it also creates a beautiful depth of field, giving presence to your subject while its background a nice, soft blur.

Edinburgh, Scotland

The capital of Scotland boasts a magnificent Christmas market every winter. Running from November to January, immerse yourself in a Scottish Christmas where you will find traditional Scottish foods and beverages (think the famous Scotch whisky), traditional crafts, and unique gifts. Capture the beautiful lights as they illuminate the streets, on its Ferries wheels and even the buildings. The EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, one of Canon’s L-Series lenses, is perfect for such examples. Its autofocus is driven by a Ring USM, which is fast, quiet and accurate, and its entire focal length works well from portrait to landscape photography.

Verona, Italy

If you are visiting Italy any time from 18 November to 26 December, don’t miss out on the Christmas market at Verona, Veneto. Interestingly, this market emulates a German-style set up with decorated traditional wooden huts, and sells regional specialties such as mulled wine, bratwurst, handicrafts and Christmas decorations. Martina uses the EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens, a telephoto zoom lens, which works well with architectural shots thanks to its 300mm focal length as well as its sharpness and excellent image quality.

Aachen, Germany

About 1.5 million people visit the Aachen Christmas market every year. From 18 November to 23 December, the squares and streets surrounding the Cathedral and Aachen Town Hall are transformed into a brightly lit market square selling everything from Christmas cakes, biscuits, nougats, waffles, beer and wine, to Christmas ornaments, art and accessories. Grab your EF50mm lens (comes in f/1.8, f/1.4, or f/1.2) if you’re up for street portraits shots, or use an EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (a step up from your standard EF-S18-55mm kit lens) for its wide focal length range, which lets you shoot from a distance and still zoom in if you don’t want to get too close to your subject.

Share with us which are your favourite Christmas markets around the world in the comments below!

Join us

Quick links

You have been logged off from your account.

An email with an activation link had been sent to your SNAPSHOT registered email.

After clicking the link, you will be able to login with your existing login detail.

Thank you for your continued support as a member of the CANON and SNAPSHOT Community. We will do our best to continue provide you with more exciting and meaningful content to help you in your everyday quest to bring out the best photographer within you!

Permission to continue

Your CANON ID will be MERGED with your SNAPSHOT ID.

An activation link will be sent to your email.

Please re-enter your password to give us permission to continue.

Type your password

By clicking this, you agree to merge your CANON ID to SNAPSHOT ID. Agreeing to this is subject to CANON AND SNAPSHOT’S TERMS & CONDITIONS.